Halfway Around the World
by HAFanForever
Summary: Set before and during the time of The Patakis, Arnold reflects on the day when he and Helga broke up, and how much he misses and still loves her even though they are so far apart from each other.


**Hi everyone! Since I am going to be in school and working full time next month, I decided to try and finally complete some things that I have postponed for too long, and one of those things is writing another _Hey Arnold!_ song fic that I have kept shelved for years. And so here it is, which is named after my favorite song by one of my favorite groups, A*Teens.**

 **This takes place before and during the time of _The Patakis_ , when Arnold has moved away. Now that we finally have _The Jungle Movie_ , if _The Patakis_ was ever made, I think Arnold moving to San Lorenzo with his parents could be a possibility to explain his absence. The concept and some of the lines in this song fic were inspired by "Departure," ****by NintendoGal55.**

* * *

I had been dreading this moment ever since my parents made the decision and told me about it.

A few years after I rescued my parents in San Lorenzo, the sleeping sickness outbreak began to happen once more. Not only that, but the Green-Eyed People were being affected by a few other diseases that were prominent within the country. So as difficult as it was, my parents made the very big decision to move back down to San Lorenzo in order to help the Green-Eyes, but also to help make more resources available to them and convince them to receive help and care from others when they needed it.

Since I did not want to risk the chance of being separated from them for many years once again, I told my parents that I wanted to go with them, and that I wouldn't let them take "no" for an answer.

But it wasn't necessarily the moment (or rather, moments) when we would drive to the airport and board the plane that would take us all the way to San Lorenzo that I was dreading. I was dreading the moment of telling Helga that I was moving away. Even before I told her, I knew exactly how she was going to react to the news…and based on the kind of person Helga is, I knew her reaction would be anything but good.

Needless to say, I was proven right.

 _Baby I will soon be leaving  
_ _And I know that you are feeling down  
_ _But every week I'll send a letter  
_ _To let you know my love will never change  
_ _I promise you I always feel the same_

 _So remember in your heart  
_ _Baby when we are apart  
_ _There is no need for crying  
_ _'Cause even if I am_

 _Halfway around the world  
_ _That won't stop me from loving you  
_ _Halfway around the world  
_ _I'll still be feeling the way I do  
_ _And now I want to hold you baby  
_ _'Cause I'm gonna miss you like crazy  
_ _Even if I'm halfway around the world_

When I broke the news to Helga, I barely said the words "moving to San Lorenzo" when she immediately started to panic, crying (although it was more like she was trying to hold back her tears and had difficulty doing so), and shout that I just couldn't leave.

Among the (occasionally hurtful) things she said to object my going away, Helga angrily argued that if I left, I could ultimately decide to stay in San Lorenzo forever and never return to Hillwood. I tried to argue that that would never happen, and that I would return one day. but she never wavered with her pessimism.

Then I told her that I still loved and that I would never forget her, no matter how apart we would be from each other. But she responded to that by saying that I would could easily just find another girl in San Lorenzo and forget all about her (Helga). When I tried to object to that, she refused to believe otherwise.

 _Baby when the miles are growing  
_ _You and I will still be growing strong  
_ _No matter what your friends are saying  
_ _Don't give up on what you're waiting for  
_ _'Cause one day I'll be knocking on your door_

 _So remember in your heart  
_ _Baby when we are apart  
_ _There is no need for crying  
_ ' _Cause even if I am_

 _Halfway around the world  
_ _That won't stop me from loving you  
_ _Halfway around the world  
_ _I'll still be feeling the way I do  
_ _And now I want to hold you baby  
_ ' _Cause I'm gonna miss you like crazy  
_ _Even if I'm halfway around the world_

One of the reasons Helga gave on why I shouldn't go was that our friends and everyone else in Hillwood (though I know she was saying it primarily for herself) needed me, and that things would fall apart if I wasn't there.

She also made several irrational outbursts as she tried to keep arguing with me. When I said that I truly wanted to stay, I also admitted that I still wanted to go because I wanted to be with my parents and help the Green-Eyes. Being as stubborn as she is, Helga refused to believe this to be true. Even when I promised her that I would write (which I said partly to try and appease her), she responded to that saying that I was being selfish since I simply was willing to just pick up and leave my entire life in Hillwood behind.

Helga barely got past calling me selfish when she then declared that she no longer wanted anything to do with me. Well, that did it for me. I was furious that she was being unreasonable and not understanding why I had to go, so I retaliated by yelling that to her that our relationship was over.

When Helga didn't say anything right away, I continued, saying that I was going to San Lorenzo, and that I wouldn't let her, our friends, or anyone else stop me. I said that I had done so much for all of them and many other people in the city, and now it was time for me to do something for myself. I told her, if she couldn't realize why I had to go, then she was the one who was being selfish.

So then we finished our conversation by shouting "FINE" to each other and then turned our backs as we walked away from one another.

Little did Helga likely know, however, that I instantly regretted calling her selfish and breaking up with her. I wanted to run back to her and tell her I was sorry, that I wanted more than anything to stay in Hillwood and be with her.

But since I was going to leave no matter what, I realized that I just couldn't go back on what I said to her. She was going to have to accept the fact that I was moving, she had get used to living her life without me always being there with her.

 _If I could you know that I would find a way  
_ _To stay for good but I must go now  
_ _I want to hold you baby  
_ ' _Cause I'm gonna miss you like crazy even if I'm_

 _Halfway around the world  
_ _That won't stop me from loving you  
_ _Halfway around the world  
_ _I'll still be feeling the way I do  
_ _And now I want to hold you baby  
_ ' _Cause I'm gonna miss you like crazy  
_ _Even if I'm halfway around the world  
_ _Oh yeah!_

It has now been over three years since I moved to San Lorenzo, and a lot has changed for me, especially since I entered my teenage years.

During these three years, I continued to regret all the hurtful things I said to Helga as we broke up. Although I have written and sent Helga perhaps hundreds of letters, I have never once received a return letter from her. I figured that she is still full of anger and heartbreak at me since the day I told her I was leaving.

Since I have never received any letters from Helga, I sometimes can't help but wonder if she has forgotten me. But then again, I also try to convince myself that such a belief is impossible. With this thought in mind, I can't help but believe that she still loves me, too.

For the first eight years of her life, Helga had love for me, a love which only grew stronger as time passed, even though I did not return the same amount of those feelings. But after I learned the truth, I gradually came to love her just as much as she loved me.

And now, three years later, despite our stormy past, I have remained true to my word that I still love Helga. I have thought about her every day since we parted, and my love for her has never faded.

Sometimes I feel that even three years can seem like a lifetime when you are away from someone you love. I would give anything to see Helga again. I want to hold her in my arms and never let her go. I want to tell her that I missed her like crazy, that I meant it when I said that my feelings for her would never change. Even if I was halfway around the world, that wouldn't stop me from loving her.

I just hope that Helga still feels the same way about me, and that, some day, there will be a chance for us to get back together.

 _Halfway around the world  
_ _That won't stop me from loving you  
_ _Halfway around the world  
_ _I'll still be feeling the way I do  
_ _And now I want to hold you baby  
_ _'Cause I'm gonna miss you like crazy  
_ _Even if I'm halfway around the world_


End file.
